


centuries old

by heelsandarrows



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:39:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6108220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heelsandarrows/pseuds/heelsandarrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is this bond between us centuries old?<br/>Is that the reason I'm meeting you like this?</p><p>Oh, is this my very first love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	centuries old

**Author's Note:**

> this is so completely separate from my hell or highwater series, just remember that ok... ok thank

She didn’t mind marriage, not really. She was just picky. That was all. As long as her husband was going to be supportive of her going after a career, she didn't mind getting married. She let her parents arrange everything, choose who to bring over. But they knew she had the final say. 

Around 15 minutes was what she got to talk alone with a possible match. That typically was all she needed. She typically had a strike list. If they mentioned kids, if she could cook, or played with the idea that she would stay at home and not work, then that was it. There were a few who managed to hit all of her dealbreakers within the first five minutes of talking. She’d known her answer, yet still had to sit through ten more minutes, while her parents were probably talking with the other family about wedding plans, discussing dowry, or something like that.

She was getting tired of the search, just wanted to stop it, but her parents convinced her to keep going. Priyanka sifted through her clothes, looking for her yellow dress. Most of her clothes had been packed away in preparation for the trip to India she was about to take with her family. But before that, there was still one more dinner.

She reached the bottom of the stairs just as the doorbell rang. Priyanka went to open it, but was pushed away by her mother. She headed into the kitchen, watching the family come in. She thought that the son was kind of cute, but she knew looks weren't everything. He had glasses, a part tapped together with black tape. It wouldn’t have been noticeable if she wasn't looking carefully. 

Introductions took around five minutes. She hadn't said anything yet, neither did he, but their parents seemed to be getting along alright. His name was Durja. She couldn't help but be curious of him, he wasn’t as outspoken as the others who came to win her over.

Given the okay to go off alone, Priyanka lead him out to the small deck in the back. She could feel a headache coming on as she stepped outside. As he was looking around, she grabbed a packet of cigarettes, hidden in a potted plant. “You don’t mind do you?” She asked him as she lighted up. 

“No, you're fine,” he said shaking his head. She hadn't even listened to his response before she took a drag. 

“Thanks,” she said with a small smile. For some guys this had been their dealbreaker. Which was completely fine with her. Given the chance she wouldn't want to marry a smoker either. She knew it was bad, but she couldn't stop. She’d never forgive her brother for getting her started. “Did you want one?” She asked holding the packet out, just trying to be polite. 

“No thanks,” he said shaking his head. “I don’t smoke… Asthma,” he explained.

With that she coughed slightly, “You have asthma and you’re not tell me you don’t mind that I smoke around you?”

He gave a small shrug, “I dunno… It’s your house not mine. I think you should be free to make your own choices like this. Who am I to tell you what to do.”

“I see,” she nodded, took another drag then put out her cigarette. If that was his attitudes toward her smoking she wondered how he’d react to other things she wanted to do. She didn't want to kill him by smoking before getting to know him better however. There was a moment of silence. “Are you in school still?” 

He nodded, “I graduate in a month however.”

“What did you major in?”

“Emergency management,” he said with a smile. “Security stuff,” he said with a shrug noting her slightly confused face. “Are you? In school still?”

Priyanka nodded, “Med school. I’m going to be a doctor.” With that statement he laughed. There was the dealbreaker. If he wasn’t going to be supportive of it, then this wouldn’t work. “What’s so funny about that? Is there a reason I can’t be a doctor?”

He shook his head, “No. I just, I think it’s ironic. You’re going to be a doctor, yet you smoke. I’m not- I don’t mean to be rude. I was just commenting. When you think of doctors, you think of them to be very self conscious of health and such, and yet smoking, is just one of the least healthy things one can do.”

She couldn’t help but smile, “I suppose you have a point there, Durja.”

“You can call me, Doug.”

With that she crinkled her nose, “I prefer Durja.”

He smiled at her, “I prefer Doug.” 

She sighed slightly, but smiled anyway, “Well… Doug it is then.” 

As the time went on, she found talking to him to be pretty easy. They’d strayed from the typical conversations of getting to know each other, and just talked about life. It was nice. She found herself increasingly getting more flustered being around him. Typically she would get butterflies in the beginning, and they would go away, but this time, she kept getting more and more butterflies. It didn’t stop. 

Their conversation was cut short when her mother came in to tell her that dinner was ready. She was feeling good. Even her mother’s stern look she got when she got a wiff of the lingering smell of smoke on her didn’t bother her. At dinner, she didn’t talk much. Neither did he. Anytime someone would ask either of them a question, a parent would respond. She just ate dinner quietly, exchanging glances with him every so often. It was nice.

She hadn’t connected with someone like this yet. She could see it working out. Priyanka just hoped he was feeling the same. The idea of getting married was such an adult thing. Growing up was never her favorite thing. The idea of getting old was also something she didn't want. But there was something about Doug that she could see herself doing the whole growing old thing together. 

She just prayed this wasn't some facade for how he really was. That was always the tricky thing, it felt like you needed more than one meeting. She didn't think she’d really get another meeting however. Once the match was made, you didn't want to spend just extra time, doing nothing, weddings were soon after. With her heading to India for a month to visit family, she wasn't sure if she’d be able to see him again. Assuming this would all work out. 

She didn't really focus on much of anything, just lost in thought. That was until he mother’s voice brought her back to reality. “Well, Priyanka?”

She felt embarrassed, not knowing what was going on at that moment. “Hm?” 

“Do you accept the proposal?”

“Oh,” Priyanka looked over at her mother, then over to Doug. He was waiting patiently, fiddling slightly with the napkin in the table to hear what she would say. She smiled at him, “Yes, I accept.”

He smiled brightly at her, there was a celebration around the table. They were both in a mutual agreement. And it was nice. Nice to have an idea of where you future lay. To know what was ahead. Even if it was just as simple as who you were going to spend your life with. It was a nice security. 

Later that night she went back out to the deck, taking her hidden pack of cigarettes and dumped them in the trash. She didn’t really have a reason to quit before, not until now. This was for her future husband.

**Author's Note:**

> helo also for some reason doctors who smoke is a fav trope of mine... esp when its just like, around med school time... like sue me.. lmao..


End file.
